Football

I won't change philosophy, says beaten Guardiola

MUNICH (Reuters) - Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola still believes in possession-based football and cannot alter his feelings about the way the game should be played, he said after the Champions League holders were hammered by Real Madrid on Tuesday. The former Barcelona boss was forced to defend his philosophy, already under fire in Germany, after his side were outclassed in their semi-final, second leg, losing 4-0 on the night and 5-0 on aggregate. "I know it's a tough night for us, for me and for the players," he told reporters, adding that Bayern lost because they had too little possession, not too much.

"The reason we did so badly in the first half is that we did not have possession. We didn't play with the ball. "Against Arsenal and against Manchester United (earlier in the competition) and in the first leg in Madrid, we played with the ball and we controlled the game. "We did not do it in the first half and when you don't have control against a great, great team like this, you don't have a chance." "The argument about my ideas is not valid," he added. "I can't change what I feel and what I feel is that we must play with the ball and attack as much as possible."

The Spaniard's opposite number Carlo Ancelotti agreed that there was no need to see Tuesday's astonishing win for Real as the death knell for the style which Guardiola pioneered at Barcelona and is attempting to bring to Bayern. Ancelotti said that the match, which helped Real reach their first Champions League final for 12 years where they will face either Chelsea or city rivals Atletico Madrid, should not be seen as anything more than a good performance by his side. "It’s a win, nothing more than that, against a strong team, which won the Champions League last year," the Italian said. "That's where it finishes. It was a good game, we controlled it, we blocked their game, we did it well and we deserved to win. "But it is not the end of a philosophy. Bayern will carry on with their game, Guardiola's philosophy will continue because he has won lots and lots." He added: "Reaching the final after 12 years was a big target and it makes me proud that I did it with the team. "When I arrived at Real, you could feel something special in the air, there was a special atmosphere. "The performance of the team was fantastic and I have nothing else to say. We hope we have the same attitude in the final."